“But everyone was put in the shade by the Samoan tenor Pene Pati as the yearning, confused and increasingly desperate Faust. He showed an extraordinary gift for producing a golden thread of sound that can swell without strain to magnificence, and his lyrical line was perfectly rounded in a way that reminded me of great French tenors of old. The agonising moment when he called out Marguerite’s name in despair simply wrung the heart, and is still echoing in my ear.”
“Succédant à Javier Camarena, Pene Pati s'impose d’emblée, avec un timbre lumineux , un chant d'un naturel séduisant, toujours parfaitement nuancé, et une articulation quasiment parfaite.”
“Succeeding Javier Camarena, Pene Pati immediately makes his mark, with a luminous timbre, a seductively natural singing style, always perfectly nuanced, and almost perfect articulation.”
“Pati produced an emotionally strong reading, which convincingly explained his fast changing and extreme reactions. He possesses a pleasingly sweet timbre, which provides the voice with a beautiful sheen… his sweet toned voice and tenderly wrought phrasing captured his love for Anaï… a lyrically fine presentation. Pati’s voice is a natural for the bel canto repertoire.”
“Pene Pati surprend par son aisance scénique, la lumière éblouissante d’une des plus belles voix de ténor du moment et la prononciation limpide de notre langue.”
“Pene Pati surprises with his scenic ease, the dazzling light of one of the most beautiful tenor voices of the moment and the limpid pronunciation of our language.”
“Hay que agradecer su arrojo y entrega. Es de esos cantantes que lo dan todo en el escenario. Cantó con gusto y consiguió grandes instantes de auténtico bel canto… Su voz tiene un timbre atractivo, buena proyección y volumen y seguridad en toda la tesitura”
“You have to thank him for his courage and delivery. He is one of those singers who gives everything on stage. He sang with pleasure and achieved great moments of authentic bel canto…His voice has an attractive timbre, good projection and volume and security throughout the range”
“Pati produced an emotionally strong reading, which convincingly explained his fast changing and extreme reactions. He possesses a pleasingly sweet timbre, which provides the voice with a beautiful sheen… his sweet toned voice and tenderly wrought phrasing captured his love for Anaï… a lyrically fine presentation. Pati’s voice is a natural for the bel canto repertoire.”
“Il est des interprètes dont la présence magnétique catalyse d’emblée l’attention du spectateur. Le chanteur samoan est de ceux-là et apparemment il a aussi le pouvoir d’entraîner ses collègues vers les plus hauts sommets.”
“There are performers whose magnetic presence immediately catalyzes the viewer's attention. The Samoan singer is one of them and apparently he also has the power to lead his colleagues to the highest peaks.”
“Pene Pati relève le défi d'un rôle vocalement exigeant et justifie la confiance que l'intendance du théâtre lui accorde. Son ténor velouté semble baigner dans un juste milieu entre la robustesse héroïque et la suavité lyrique. Sa palette expressive est très nuancée, les crescendi sont construits avec beaucoup d'habileté et de finesse.”
“Pene Pati takes up the challenge of a vocally demanding role and justifies the confidence that the stewardship of the theater places in him. His velvety tenor seems to bathe in a happy medium between heroic robustness and lyrical sweetness. His expressive palette is very nuanced, the crescendi are constructed with great skill and finesse.”
“...a timbre rich in overtones and some excellent technical abilities.”
“Forte di un timbro chiaro e con un canto che si definisce "generoso" Pene Pati ha dato ad Edgardo passionalità ed impeto giovanile.”
“Strengthened by a clear timbre and with singing that is the definition of "generous" Pene Pati gave Edgardo passion and youthful impetus.”
“le ténor samoan affiche toujours le même plaisir en scène… Il est en plus à présent extrêmement touchant dès sa romance, sous le balcon de l’acte II. Ductile, lyrique et émouvant, Pene Pati illumine la distribution.”
“...the Samoan tenor always displays the same pleasure on stage…It is also now extremely touching romantically, in the balcony scene in Act II. Ductile, lyrical and moving, Pene Pati illuminates the cast.”
“Pene Pati (Alfredo), zangers met veel in huis qua vocale allure en muzikaliteit…”
“Pene Pati (Alfredo), singers with a lot of talent in terms of vocal allure and musicality…”
“Pene Pati est un Roméro éblouissant tant pour son timbre que pour sa technique… miraculeuse ! On entend son pianissimo prolongé qui plane au-delà d’un orchestre au complet. Ce fut l’un des plus beaux moments de la soirée. Il contrôle admirablement sa puissance ; sa couleur vocale, fondamentalement ouverte, est toujours teintée de jeux de nuances subtiles, apporte un plus au personnage. Outre ces aspects vocaux, sa diction en français, étonnamment claire, est un vrai plaisir. Son Roméo est une révélation, aussi bien que le chanteur lui-même”
“Pene Pati is a dazzling Roméo due to both his timbre and his technique… miraculous! We hear his extended pianissimo hovering above a full orchestra. It was one of the most beautiful moments of the evening. He controls his power admirably; his vocal color, fundamentally open, is always tinged with subtle nuances, which brings something extra to the character. Besides these vocal aspects, his surprisingly clear French diction is a real pleasure. His Roméo is a revelation, as well as the singer himself”
“un triomphe pour le jeune ténor samoan Pene Pati qui brille par son engagement et l’art de son chant…le ténor est un acteur généreux. Le chanteur trouve ici un espace musical d’une autre dimension, au français châtié dans le madrigal, immense de souffle dans l’air du balcon, capable partout de piani du plus beau style. Mais à la fin du III, lorsque Roméo crie sa crainte de ne pas revoir Juliette, Pati ose prolonger son éblouissant contre-ut au-dessus des chœurs et de l’orchestre jusqu’à la dernière mesure de l’acte. Ce tour de force évoque irrésistiblement celui de Montserrat Caballé face au tombeau de Charles Quint à la fin d’une représentation de Don Carlo de Verdi en 1969… à Vérone !”
“...a triumph for the young Samoan tenor Pene Pati who shines with his commitment and the art of his singing…the tenor is a generous actor. The singer finds here a musical space of another dimension, with clear French in the madrigal, immense of breath in the balcony duet, and capable at any point of piani of the most beautiful style. But at the end of III, when Roméo cries out in fear of not seeing Juliet again, Pati dares to prolong his dazzling high C above the choir and the orchestra until the last bar of the act. This tour de force irresistibly evokes that of Montserrat Caballé facing the tomb of Charles V at the end of a performance of Don Carlo by Verdi in 1969… in Verona!”
“...la voix ronde et solaire du ténor, ses demi-teintes caressantes, ses aigus ambrés, la beauté de son style et la perfection de sa prosodie ont stupéfié et séduit. Un Roméo nous est né, longuement acclamé aux saluts par une salle éperdue d’admiration et de reconnaissance, un moment de gloire que Pene Pati…”
“...the round and sunshine filled voice of the tenor, its caressing colors, its amber high notes, the beauty of its style and the perfection of its prosody amazed and seduced. A Roméo was born, long acclaimed by a crowd with admiration and recognition, a moment of glory for Pene Pati…”
“Pene Pati est un éblouissant Roméo, qui met le public à genoux. Emission haute et souple, aigu crâne, si bémol pianissimo à la fin de la cavatine, le ténor samoan a de la lumière dans le timbre.”
“Pene Pati is a dazzling Roméo, which brings the public to their knees. High and flexible emission…B flat pianissimo at the end of the cavatina, the Samoan tenor has light in the timbre.”
“Mais le grand triomphateur de la soirée est Pene Pati… Le ténor samoan a campé un Roméo absolument miraculeux de bout en bout, un Roméo qui hantera longtemps notre mémoire. On ne sait qu’admirer le plus dans cette prestation de haut vol, son timbre ensoleillé, l’aisance de ses aigus, sa maîtrise des demi-teintes et de la voix mixte, l’élégance de sa ligne de chant sans parler de son exceptionnelle prononciation du français.”
“But the big winner of the evening is Pene Pati… The Samoan tenor portrayed an absolutely miraculous Romeo from start to finish, a Roméo that will haunt our memory for a long time. We only know how to admire the most in this high-flying performance, its sunshine filled tone, the ease of its high notes, his mastery of colors and the mixed voice, the elegance of his singing line, not to mention its exceptional French pronunciation.”
“Pene Pati a tout simplement subjugué l’auditoire, par un chant stylé, un français à la pureté exceptionnelle, un timbre clair infiniment malléable... une vaillance à toute épreuve, un engagement scénique de tous les instants, une formidable capacité à transmettre l’émotion… mais aussi une forme de charisme qui lui est propre et qui rend constamment visible sa joie d’être sur scène et de chanter.”
“Pene Pati simply captivated the audience with his stylish singing, his exceptionally pure French, his clear, infinitely malleable timbre... his unfailing valour, his commitment to the stage at all times, his formidable ability to convey emotion... but also a form of charisma that is unique to him and that constantly makes his joy of being on stage and of singing visible.”
“Le Roméo de Pene Pati comporte tous les éléments pour séduire : timbre solaire, placement haut et léger, beauté intrinsèque d'un legato soigné et agile, longueur de souffle et aisance sur toute la tessiture. Le ténor samoan impressionne non seulement par ces qualités mais également par son jeu, enfantin et émerveillé, rêveur et passionné, à la fois maladroit et extrêmement sensible, rendant au jeune amant italien une complexité qui, bien souvent, lui est ôtée.”
“Pene Pati 's Roméo has all the elements to seduce us: a sunshine filled timbre, high and light placement, intrinsic beauty of a neat and agile legato, length of breath and ease over the entire range. The Samoan tenor impresses not only with these qualities but also with his play, childlike and amazed, dreamy and passionate, both clumsy and extremely sensitive, giving back to the young Italian lover a complexity that is very often taken away from him.”
“Le ténor samoan subjugue dès ses premiers vers chantés, et on rêve quelques secondes que son « Ah ! lève-toi, soleil ! » soit bissé tant il est applaudi. On ne saurait dire ce qui bouleverse le plus, entre le vertige des tenues, l’emboîtement des intervalles, l’espacement qu’il s’autorise dans la phrase, l’élasticité du timbre ou la foi de l’incarnation, une fois passée la sidération de cette diction parfaite.”
“The Samoan tenor captivates from his first sung phrases, and we dream for a few seconds that his “ Ah ! lève-toi, soleil » will be repeated as he is applauded. It is impossible to say what is most impressive, between the dizziness of the outfits, the interlocking of the intervals, the spacing that he allows himself in each phrase, the elasticity of the tone or the commitment of the incarnation, once past the astonishment of this perfect diction.”
“Portée par un timbre suave, l’émission est toujours souple et naturelle, d’une facilité déconcertante jusque dans la voix de tête. Son souffle puissant lui permet aussi des tenues de note d’une longueur à laquelle les chanteurs actuels ne nous ont guère habitués, ce qui provoque plusieurs fois le frisson…Pene Pati a manifestement conquis le public par sa chaleur humaine communicative.”
“Carried by a suave tone, the emission is always supple and natural, disconcertingly easy even in head voice. His powerful breath also allows him to sustain notes of a length to which we are hardly accustomed to with current singers, which causes us to shiver several times over…Pene Pati clearly conquered the public with his communicative human warmth.”
“Il y est tout simplement divin. Que dire ? Comment ne pas ressentir un doux frisson parcourir nos veines à l’écoute de ce timbre solaire, de cette voix souple posée sur le souffle autorisant mille nuances, de ce français prononcé avec autant d’intelligence ? Car oui, le ténor originaire de l’archipel de Samoa a l’une des plus belles dictions du plateau. Et il y a aussi ce contre-ut longuement tenu à la fin du troisième acte et qui a littéralement soulevé la salle, et ces couleurs alla Pavarotti et ce naturel, et ce sens de la scène et puis, et puis… et puis, rien à dire de plus. C’était Roméo, c’était Pene Pati un soir de première bouleversée par le Covid et c’était rare et beau.”
“It is simply divine. What to say ? How can we not feel a sweet shiver running through our veins when listening to this solar timbre, this supple voice placed on the breath allowing a thousand nuances, this French pronounced with so much intelligence? Because yes, the tenor from the archipelago of Samoa has one of the most beautiful diction on the set. And there's also that long-held high C at the end of the third act that literally lifted the room, and those colors alla Pavarotti and this naturalness, and this sense of the stage and then, and then… and then, nothing more to say. It was Roméo, it was Pene Pati on a first night upset by Covid and it was rare and beautiful.”
“Vocalmente è dotato di uno strumento piuttosto prezioso. Il timbro nella tessitura centrale ricorda un po’ il giovane Marcelo Álvarez mentre, salendo verso il registro acuto, assume sonorità pavarottiane. La tecnica risulta sicura e gli consente di sfoggiare ottime mezzevoci, buone smorzature, delle belle frasi legati e acuti lucenti come il do emesso al termine del duetto con Belcore del secondo atto.”
“Vocally he is gifted with a rather precious instrument. The timbre in the central texture is somewhat reminiscent of the young Marcelo Álvarez while, rising towards the high register, it takes on Pavarottian sounds. The technique is secure and allows him to show off excellent mezzevoci, good smorzature, beautiful constructed phrases and bright high notes such as the C at the end of the duet with Belcore in the second act.”
“Son personnage séduit par sa candeur, son innocence et surtout sa sincérité… Le timbre de voix s’avère particulièrement attractif, solaire, assez clair en fait. Le souffle apparaît bien maîtrisé, le legato de haute qualité, l’aigu émis avec aisance. Son interprétation de son fameux air "Una furtiva lagrima", s’impose par son raffinement et son sens des nuances.”
“His character seduces with his candor, his innocence and above all his sincerity… The timbre of his voice turns out to be particularly attractive, solar, quite clear in fact. The breath seems well controlled, the legato of high quality, the high notes emitted with ease. His interpretation of his famous aria "Una furtiva lagrima" stands out for its refinement and sense of nuance.”
“Pene Pati dont le Nemorino s’impose d’emblée par une projection hors pair et par une aisance scénique… Il est Nemorino de bout en bout et cela fonctionne parfaitement, la magie de l’opéra aidant probablement aussi.”
“Pene Pati whose Nemorino is confident from the start with an incomparable projection and an ease in his acting… He's Nemorino through and through and it works perfectly…”
“…le timbre est splendide, solaire ; le phrasé et le souffle irréprochables et l’acteur convaincant dans son numéro de nigaud souriant.”
“...the timbre is splendid, solar; the impeccable phrasing and breath and the actor convincing…”
“Roméo is embodied by Pene Pati, the Samoan tenor who caused a sensation here last year as Percy in Anna Bolena, and to whom we are attached from the start with his sincere and beautiful timbre. His diction was superlative.”
I may as well start right away with the best: Pene Pati as Roméo. We heard resounding proof of the gifts of this Samoan tenor who is a revelation…one remains dazzled by the generosity of his voice whose top range seems to have an utterly fool-proof strength, and seductive timbre. Above all, what a nuanced performance, and what incredible French diction! This is a Roméo we won’t forget.”
“This Roméo and Juliette couple is close to ideal…Pene Pati takes great care over the composer’s dynamics which others neglect. What is the use of the orchestra preparing the final pianissimo of “Ah, leve-toi, soleil” if the tenor sings a fortissimo? Pene Pati offers us the pianissimo, kneeling, and it’s a delight…But when his fortissimo comes, in the rage of the Act III duel, it delights us just as much.”
“Pene Pati is a fast rising lyric tenor no longer on the brink but in the midst of a major career. Pati is at the top of his game, equipped with a sizeable voice that rises easily above the staff with no sign of strain, his technique is impeccable and so is his command of French, Italian and Russian.”
“He proved to us from the first moment that he everything to be a tenor we will continue to hear about the next twenty years. The voice is powerful and equal throughout the range, but he’s all about volume! He is a sensitive, sympathetic and intelligent artist.”
“He brought requisite ardour and gleaming sound to Roméo, melding beautifully Nadine Sierra in all four of their duets. Pati impressed even when he wasn’t courting his lover, including a glowing account of the dreamy ‘Ah! Léve-toi soleil!”
“Pati sings in a gleaming, sensuous stream of sound, heroic accents in more athletic passages and a warm, tenderly inviting depth moments of romantic intimacy.”
“Ingénu tenor Pene Pati is purely and simply the vocal embodiment of the Duke of Mantua, possessing the vocal swagger, the freshness of voice, and the creative energy that makes the Duke, indeed all youth, lovable.”